ED FISHER: Women's equality in America

Women have never had complete equality in the United States. The original Constitution ignored them except to count them in determining the number of representatives a state had in congress. Until the 20th century, they were treated pretty much as property and marriage was a way of collecting possessions and determining inheritance through a legal contract.

They didn’t get the vote until Congress passed the 19th Amendment on June 4, 1919, which was ratified on Aug. 18, 1920. This involved a lengthy and difficult struggle, requiring decades of agitation and protest. Generations of supporters worked to achieve this result against vigorous resistance, where many considered a “woman’s place was in the home.”

We never passed an Equal Rights Amendment. Some insurance companies treated being female as a preexisting condition and raised their health insurance premiums accordingly.

That there is still resistance is reflected in the October 2013 report by the World Economic Forum. The report ranks the United States 23rd among 136 countries in terms of women’s equality. The lengthy document details over 40 key and sub-variables. The Forum is an independent international organization committed “to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.” It is not politically oriented (no, it is not a socialist front).

In the document, open Appendix D and select United States for details about us. Regarding sexual equality, we rank first in the world in professional and technical workers, educational attainment, literacy rate, enrollment in primary, secondary, and tertiary education, and sex ratio at birth. However, in many other categories we do not fare so well.

In world ranking, we are 40 in labor force participation; 67 in wage equality for similar work; 33 in health and survival; 53 in healthy life expectancy; 60 in political empowerment; 76 in women in parliament (Congress); and 60 in years with female head of state (Federal and State).

The belief by some that ours is “the greatest healthcare system in the world” is just not so. Most industrialized countries have universal healthcare because it benefits their economy and the wellbeing of their citizens. Women should have access to quality healthcare and be the judge as to when and if they choose to have children.

Women will gain from equal pay, benefits, and respect. They should have a greater role in politics. If we are to remain a world power, we must rely more on the qualities women bring to our society. The women in both Houses of Congress are much more likely to work with the other party and try to come to solutions to the many problems facing the nation.

The report discusses the top 10 countries in the group that have the best records for women’s equality based on health and survival, education, politics, and economic equality. They are:

1. Iceland

2. Finland

3. Norway

4. Sweden

5. The Philippines

6. Ireland

7. New Zealand

8. Denmark

9. Switzerland

10. Nicaragua.

Iceland has held the top spot for five consecutive years.

The most likely reason the United States ranks so poorly is a national obsession with competition, where one team gains at the cost of the opponent and our difficulty in cooperation, where synergy provides a better solution to a problem than could be generated by any individual. In the latter, everyone benefits.

This has been the root cause of the lack of progress in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Tea Party extremists would refuse to even consider an equal pay law, let alone an Equal Opportunity Amendment or anything useful to women.

The Michigan Republicans have sided consistently with their out-of-touch methods and the depth of their madness. The voters of Michigan must make changes to this mix in 2014 for the good of the state, and the soundness of the nation.